Tuesday, March 21, 2017

If Not for You (New Beginnings, #3) by Debbie Macomber

An emotionally
stirring novel that shows how obstacles can be overcome, differences can
be strengths, and sometimes a choice can seem wrong even though it s
absolutely right

If not for her loving but controlling
parents, Beth Prudhomme might never have taken charge of her life and
moved from her native Chicago to Portland, Oregon, where she s
reconnected with her spirited Aunt Sunshine and found a job as a high
school music teacher. If not for her friend Nichole, Beth would never
have met Sam Carney, although first impressions have left Beth with
serious doubts. Sam is everything Beth is not and her parents worst
nightmare: a tattooed auto mechanic who s rough around the edges.
Reserved and smart as a whip, Beth isn t exactly Sam s usual
beer-drinking, pool-playing type of woman, either.

But if not
for an awkward setup one evening, Beth might never have left early and
been involved in a car crash. And if not for Sam who witnessed the
terrifying ordeal, rushed to her aid, and stayed with her until help
arrived Beth might have been all alone, or worse. Yet as events play
out, Sam feels compelled to check on Beth almost daily at the hospital
even bringing his guitar to play songs to lift her spirits. Soon their
unlikely friendship evolves into an intense attraction that surprises
them both.

Before long, Beth's strong-willed mother, Ellie,
blows into town spouting harsh opinions, especially about Sam, and
reopening old wounds with Sunshine. When shocking secrets from Sam s
past are revealed, Beth struggles to reconcile her feelings. But when
Beth goes a step too far, she risks losing the man and the life she has
come to love.

About The Author

Debbie Macomber is a #1 New York
Times bestselling author and one of today’s most popular writers with
more than 200 million copies of her books in print worldwide. In her
novels, Macomber brings to life compelling relationships that embrace
family and enduring friendships, uplifting her readers with stories of
connection and hope. Macomber’s novels have spent over 990 weeks on the
New York Times bestseller list. Sixteen of these novels hit the number
one spot.

In 2016, Macomber’s all-new hardcover publications
include A Girl’s Guide to Moving On (February), Sweet Tomorrows
(August), and Twelve Days of Christmas (October) and an adult coloring
book, The World of Debbie Macomber: Come Home To Color (April). In
addition to fiction, Macomber has also published two bestselling
cookbooks, numerous inspirational and nonfiction works, and two
acclaimed children’s books.

Celebrated as “the official
storyteller of Christmas”, Macomber’s annual Christmas books are beloved
and five have been crafted into original Hallmark Channel movies.
Macomber is also the author of the bestselling Cedar Cove Series which
the Hallmark Channel chose as the basis for its first dramatic scripted
television series. Debuting in 2013, Debbie Macomber’s Cedar Cove was a
ratings favorite for three seasons.

Macomber owns two businesses
in Port Orchard, WA, the town which inspired the Cedar Cove Series.
These include The Grey House Café, formerly the Victorian Rose Tea Room,
featured in the Cedar Cove Series, and A Good Yarn Shop, introduced in
her popular Blossom Street novels. They are located on the Village
Square campus, which also serves as Debbie’s corporate headquarters.

She
and her husband, Wayne, serve on the Guideposts National Advisory
Cabinet, and she is World Vision’s international spokesperson for their
Knit for Kids charity initiative. A devoted grandmother, Debbie and
Wayne live in Port Orchard, Washington and winter in Florida.

My Review

Another book by Debbie Macomber and another quickly devoured story,
which will linger with you. This is a stand-alone book but there are
characters in here that we have met before, and quickly I was
remembering another story and happy to get caught up with them. Our
girl Beth is trying to move on, she had taken a large step and moved
miles from her over bearing mother, can you imagine a girl of
twenty-five and her mother telling her how to dress? I sure cannot even
phantom being that much under my parents control at that age. Then the
man she is fixed up with is nothing that her mother would approve of,
but fate does intercede and with a horrible mishap these two may find
each other.Through the book I began to wonder if Beth’s good deeds
were reminiscent of her mother, I sure hoped not but they sure seem to
backfire on her, and I wondered if she was about to ruin her chances
with Sam. A tale that is about to keep you page turning to the end, and
it does take to the end to get all of the answers.

I received this book through Net Galley and Ballantine Books, and was not required to give a positive review.